The Master

New York

Rakim

Lyrics & Rhyme Analysis

26

End

88

Internal

34

Multi

158

Slant

8

Chain

Rhyme Groups — hover to spotlight
[Verse 2: Rakim]
A-yo, we got blocks and blocks
Of big shots with big knots and big props
Yo, this is where the bullshit stops
Where herbs get got
If you snitch, you get shot
We get down, and leave the town in a state of shock
(WE GOT) dangerous hang-out spots and slick cops
Place called✦ Rikers Island✦ where kids get locked✦
A lotta✦ gear to rock with blocks of clothes shops
Styles✦ are top notch, this is the place to watch
So blast the box, the radio✦ station✦ is hot
Ease your mind starin'✦ at skylines from rooftops
Flip scripts for chips, and new whips off the lot
Quick to call a shot, politic' with thick plots
And the Garden✦ of Eden✦ against the sea that we got
To make sure the core of the Big Apple don't rot
Where seeing's believin',✦ we be achievin'✦ a lot
Where disc-jocks created hip-hop,✦ check it out!
(Queens - ya out there? no doubt
Manhattan - no doubt
New York city,✦ Staten✦ Island✦
New York, New York, Long Island✦
New York - ya out there?)
[Verse 3: Rakim]
A-yo, we got five boroughs of ghettos with many✦ places✦ to meet
You get lost in busy✦ streets, the city✦ that never✦ sleeps
Mecca,✦ Pelan, Medina,✦ the population✦ increase✦
The desert and the oasis, New York, the far east
With Gods and sheiks, pretty✦ Amazons for weeks
Player dons that fleece, the family's black sheep
Icons✦ that teach but we all act unique✦
We got stats to reach, so we all have to eat
A mass of peeps, with they own masterpiece
The crafts' elite,✦ we be goin' past the peak
The latest technique no other✦ place get as deep
Who parks release✦ some of the world's greatest athletes
DJ's and MC's and graffiti artistes
Who use walls and subway✦ trains for marquees
We go back to b-boys, breakdancin', breakbeats
And it'll never✦ cease!
And on that note, we say peace

Technical Breakdown

8.6
Multisyllabic Rhymes7.5

Complexity of rhyme schemes (data-driven)

Internal Rhymes9.5

Rhymes within a line (data-driven)

Wordplay / Double Entendres7.5

Clever language, metaphors, punchlines

Cadence / Rhythm9.0

Flow variation and timing (data-driven)

Vocabulary Complexity8.0

Range and depth of words used (data-driven)

Delivery / Breath Control9.0

Performance and control

Computed Score8.64

Production

— DJ Premier

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Critic Analysis
RAPLEDGER BAROMETER™

Rakim utilizes a masterful combination of rhythmic internal rhyme density and a cyclical internal rhyming structure that establishes the rhythmic template for the modern New York anthem, elevating atmospheric description through sheer phonetic momentum.

A
7.5
Multisyllabic
9.5
Internal Rhymes
9
Cadence / Flow
8
Vocabulary
7.5
Wordplay
9
Delivery
Heavy multisyllabic internal rhymingAssonance-driven cadenceCyclical repetitionEnd-rhyme clustersStaccato delivery
Rhyme Architecture: The verse relies on an aggressive 'A-A-A' internal rhyming pattern where Rakim clusters rhymes at the end of every mid-line clause, building momentum that cascades into the terminal word of each bar, creating a wall-of-sound effect.
Verified Doubles & Entendres

"Flip scripts for chips"

① To trade or sell screenplays or written material for money.② To engage in criminal or entrepreneurial activities ('flipping') to earn currency ('chips').

"Garden of Eden against the sea that we got"

① A religious/mythological reference to a paradise lost or protected.② A metaphor for the beauty and temptation of New York City surrounded by its harbor and maritime geography.

Exceptional rhythmic consistency and pocket placement

Cohesive world-building through dense, descriptive imagery

Pacing variation despite the heavy use of mono-syllabic end-rhymes

Authoritative vocal presence

Occasional reliance on standard street-rap tropes

Less focus on complex metaphorical abstraction compared to his earlier work

Structure is somewhat linear, lacking sharp shifts in narrative perspective

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